All posts tagged Fiat

With all the advertisements slapped on the front, back and sides of Ferrari’s new Formula 1 race car, one relatively small one is steeped in significance and while another is notable for its absence. For the first time in almost four decades a Fiat insignia won’t grace the Ferrari race car. Instead, the distinctive cross and snake emblem of Alfa Romeo adorns Ferrari’s new F1 machine. Read More »

For a quarter century, Fiat SpA’s Italian sports car maker, Ferrari, has known one boss: Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. On Thursday, he brought his trademark flair, sense of humor and wavy hair to the Paris auto show floor to present a limited edition supercar and provide an obvious snub to the man who is replacing him.

Mr. Montezemolo was dismissed three weeks ago by Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, who is the next Ferrari chairman-in-waiting. Mr. Montezemolo’s sacking was ostensibly due to Ferrari’s poor showing in Formula 1 racing—the former dominant force on the circuit hasn’t won a title since 2008 and this season has managed just two podium finishes and no victories. Read More »

But the $59,995 Hellcat is also a statement from Fiat Chrysler NV about technology. Sure, Tesla Motors Inc. can build a sedan that can run for 265 miles on electricity. But a hefty Dodge coupe that has more power than a Lamborghini Aventador and a federal highway fuel economy rating of 22 miles per gallon is no small achievement.

In effect, the Hellcat offers more than three times the power and twice the mileage of a V-8 powered Chrysler from the 1970s, and is an extreme example of a broader auto industry trend to invest more in vehicles that burn gasoline more efficiently. Read More »

Fiat SpA shareholders will be called upon Friday to approve the Italian carmaker’s merger with 100%-controlled unit Chrysler Group LLC. With Italy’s Agnelli family controlling 30 percent of Fiat it is supposed to be a formality, but what if…

A clause in the merger document gives Fiat shareholders who vote against the tie-up the right to sell their shares to the company at a fixed price that currently is about 3.5% above Fiat’s share price. The shares dropped 2.1% Wednesday as Fiat reported a 55% decline in second-quarter net profit.

Fiat has set a maximum payout of €500 million to reimburse shareholders’ who tender their stock. Fiat has a market capitalization of €9.32 billion so to reach the limit about 5% of the total share capital would have to tender its shares to the company after voting against the merger. More on this after the jump… Read More »

The European Union probe of tax deals between three governments and three global corporate giants, including Apple Inc., is the latest salvo in a broader European effort to wring more corporate tax revenue from multinational companies—particularly big U.S.-based tech firms.

Countries including the U.K., Germany and France have sought to crack down in recent years on big companies they allege don’t pay sufficient taxes. The crackdown comes amid economic malaise across much of Europe. Governments have sought new rules at the European level but have also pushed for global standards at forums like the Group of Seven.

And they have been sending tax cops in with the threat of massive bills. More on this after the jump… Read More »

With the launch of the new 200 sedan this summer, Chrysler is ditching the “Imported from Detroit” tagline made famous by its dark and gritty Super Bowl ad in 2011 – the one with rapper Eminem wheeling around Detroit – and introducing a new slogan it hopes will reflect the ambitions of its newest family car: “America’s Import.”

In its new TV ad for the 200, it makes clear just who it is trying to target among the competition: the Japanese imports that have long dominated the U.S. midsize-car market.

Case in point, the TV ad describes the 200 as “the car that proves a well-made sedan doesn’t have to cross an ocean to be worthy of the American road.” (Never mind that both GM and Ford now have strong entries in this corner of the market, as well.) More on this after the jump… Read More »

Maserati, the Italian luxury car manufacturer, is basically a rounding error for its owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, but this rounding error offers a tiny glimmer of hope to FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne.

Sales of Maserati have been surging, especially in the U.S. where in May the company sold 1,144 cars, five times more than in the same month last year. While an impressive number, it’s worth putting in perspective: FCA, which includes Italian carmaker Fiat as well as Chrysler and all its brands, sold only 15,400 Maseratis last year, less than half of one percent of the company’s total vehicle sales.

Mr. Marchionne last month laid out a series of targets for vehicle sales that many industry watchers think will be difficult to reach without raising capital. The Italian-Canadian executive says FCA will invest €48 billion to develop new models and push vehicle sales to 7 million in 2018 compared with 4.4 million last year. The success of the plan rests on Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat and Alfa Romeo making large gains. More on this after the jump… Read More »

In a sign (literally) of change, the Chrysler logo that once adorned the sprawling suburban Detroit headquarters of the U.S. auto maker has come down. Hoisted up in its place is a new sign and name, FCA, representing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

The new name, a mashing together of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC, has come to symbolize a new beginning for the combined company and was in liberal use Tuesday, adorning signs, presentation slides and press materials. More on this after the jump… Read More »

The newly-combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to release a new five-year business plan Tuesday – the second since Sergio Marchionne started leading Chrysler out of its federally-financed bankruptcy in 2009. Mr. Marchionne is expected to present plenty of charts, timelines and targets for the company.

After the jump five things to watch for, including who foots the bill and whether Italy will remain the company’s center of gravity. Read More »

In the world of corporate branding, designing the logo for a newly-formed global auto industry giant is a big opportunity: how can you express all that the company and its vehicles stand for, push some design boundaries while staying true to classic ideas?

The team assigned to make the logo for the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles stepped up to the challenge in their own way – more on this after the jump… Read More »